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HomeMy WebLinkAboutUnique Natural Area Map-104.pdfUNA-I04 Palmer Woods Tompkins County Environmental Management Council Inventory of Unique Natural Areas in Tompkins County Last Updated: September 1999 UNA boundaries were delineated by field biologists based on a review of air photographs, digital GIS base map data (roads, building footprints, 20 fool contours and streams) and field visilS. UNA boundaries are approximate and should be used for general planning pU!Jloses only. As a practical matter the county does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information 1:6000portrayed. The end user ofthis map agrees to accept the data "as is" with full ~ knowledge that errors and ommissions may exist, and to hold barmless the 500 o feet County for any damages that may result from an inappropriate use ofthis map. N ..Unique Natural Area UNA-104 ..Building Footprint /\/ 20 Foot Contour I\/. RoadN Municipal Boundary SITE NAME: Palmer Woods SITE CODE: UNA-104 DATA LAST UPDATED: 113/00 OLD SITE CODE: IT-20 LOCATION Municipality: Town of Ithaea, Village of Cayuga Heights Latitude: 42 28 43 N USGS Quad: Ithaea East Longitude: 762952 W Tax Parcel Numbers Included in this Site: Tax parcel data is accurate as ofJuly J. J999. For up-to-date information on tax parcel descriptions and ownership. contact the Tompkins County Assessment Department. When a UNA covered less than 0.025 ac. ofa parcel. the parcel was excluded from this list. IT 11.-2-10.2 IT 11.-2-11 IT 11.-2-12.2 IT 11.-2-13.2 lTll.~2-14 IT 11.-2-15 IT 11.-2-24 IT 11.-2-5 IT 11.-2-6 IT 11.-2-7.13 IT 11.-2-7.14 IT 11.-2-7.18 IT 11.-2-7.19 IT 14.-4-1 IT 14.-4-2.1 IT 14.-4-2.2 SITE AND VEGETATION DESCRIPTION Palmer Woods, and the adjacent natural areas, encompasses very diverse vegetation types: old growth forest, young forest, meadows, and wetlands. More than half of this remarkable area is undisturbed old-gro1l'<1h forest dominated by large oaks -notably many black oaks. The varied topography is reflected in the site's diverse vegetation. The flaHopped, dry knoll and upper slopes are dominated by black, white, and red oaks, pignut and shagbark hickories, and white pine. Red and sugar maples, beech, and hemlock are common on the north-facing slopes. Near the creek valley on shallow slopes, sugar maple, basswood, white ash, and bitternut hickory are found. There are several scattered low wet pockets with skunk cabbage and wetland vegetation. In young forest, white pine and red maple are dominant. The adjacent marsh is dominated by cattails. REASONS FOR SELECTION • Birding site • Old-growth forest • Quality example of plant community • Scenicl Aesthetic value • Urban greenspace SPECIAl. LAND-USE INFORMATION Special Land-Use Designations and Features • A mature forest stand with trees over 150 years old is found on this site. Water Resources • A stream runs through this site. • A NYS protected stream runs through this site. CONSERVATION OF THE SITE Adjacent Land-Use: Residential, playing fields, open grassland, parking lot, and student housing. Sensitivity of Site to Visitors: Parts of the site are vulnerable to disturbance by visitors, especially the wet area. Trails exist through much of the property. Evidence of Disturbance and Threats to Site: Golf fairways once ran through part of this forest. They have since grown up to old field forest. The existing dump that contains leaves collected in the autumn also contains trash. There are no immediate threats to the site, but there are development pressures on the area from Cornell University. Special Conservation/Management Needs: Some trail improvement could make the site more accessible. The site does not have an adequate protective buffer. Other Comments: Rare plants are likely to be found on this site; further visits are needed. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SITE Slope % Topographic Position Size (acres): 43.572 Elevation (ft.): 838 to 921 Aspect: north, south, west Flat ~ Crest Topographic Features ~3 to15 [VI] Upper Slope Dry knoll with wet pockets and creek valley near it. ~15t025 ~Mid Slope Geological Features ~Over 25 ~Lower Slope ~ Bottom Soils Present on the Site Soil characteristics ofthe site were determined manually and are approximate. In the fUture. digital soil data will provide more accurate information. Soil Name Hydric (Wet) Erodibility Drainage Unmapped Area BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SITE General Cover Types Upland forest Old-field forest Wet meadow Open water Marsh Page 282 Ecological Communities Detailed information regarding each community type's rareness may befound in Appendix F. For up-to-date information on ecological communities, contact the NY Natural Heritage Program (518-783-3932). Rarity: (Key: No checkmarks indicate that no communities fall within those categories.) Global -At least one community designated as rare or scarce at the global level by The Nature Conservancy is found on this site.------'­ ~State -At least one community designated as rare or scarce at the state level by The Nature Conservancy and the New York Natural Heritage Program is found on this site. :;'1 Local -At least one community designated as rare or scarce at the local level by the Tompkins County EMC and the Cornell Plantations is found on this site. Ecological Communities Inventoried on this Site: Community Name Mixed oak forest Hickory-white ash-oak type Maple-basswood rich mesic forest Beech-maple mesic forest Successional northern hardwoods Midreach stream Deep emergent marsh Sedge meadow Description A forest dominated by oaks found on steep south and west facing slopes. Soils may have calcareous materials at depth. Dominants are red, black, and white oak, and white pine. Black oak is an indicator of this ecological community type. Pignut hickory and red maple are usually presen.!:. Flowering dogwood and choke cherry are often abundant in the understory. The forest occurs on flat uplands and gentle to moderate slopes. Soil is of moderate pH and well to moderately well drained. Shagbark hickory as a dominant is an indicator of this ecological community type. Mesophytes of fertile soils such as white ash, basswood, tulip poplar, sugar and red maples are among the dominant species or abundant as a group in this Shnlbs and herbs often have a weedy component. _ _ _ A hardwood forest that typically occurs on fertile, moist, well-drained soils. It is often associated with limestone or deep glacial gravels. Dominant trees are sugar maple, basswood, and white ash. Common associates are bitternut hickory, tulip tree, musclewood, alternate- leaved dogwood, and witch hazel. The shrub layer is sparse. Spring wildflowers are usually abundant Characteristic species are trillium, white baneberry, spring beauty, toothwort, trout lily, and bloodroot:.... _ A hardwood forest with sugar maple and beech co-dominant. Found on moist, well-<lrained soils, on north and east facing slopes, and on gently sloping hilltops of any aspect, this ecological community type rarely occurs in ravines. Common associates are basswood, American elm, white ash, yellow birch, hop hornbeam, and red maple. Characteristic species in the sub-canopy are musclewood, striped maple, witch hazel, hobblebush, and alternate- leaved dogwood. There typically are few herbs and shrubs, but tree seedlings may be abundant. There a!!many spring ephemerals. _ _ _ _ _ _ A forest with more than 60% canopy cover of trees that occurs on sites that have been cleared or otherwise disturbed. Dominant trees are usually two or more of the following: red maple, white pine, white ash, gray birch, quaking aspen, big-tooth aspen, and, less frequently, sugar maple and white ash. Tree seedlings and saplings may be of more shade tolerant species. Shrubs and ground cover species may be those of old-fields. In abandoned pasturelands apples and hawthorns may be present in the understory. _ _ _ _ _ _ __ The aquatic community of a stream that has a well-defined pattern of alternating pool, riffle, and run sections. Waterfalls and springs may be present. Typical aquatic macrophytes include waterweed and pondweeds. ~ersistent emerge~vegetation is lacking~ _ _ _ Deep marshes have a water depth ranging from 15 em 102m. The substrate is almost always wet and there is usually standing water in autumn. Characteristic vegetation includes emergent aquatics such as yellow pond lily, white waterlily, cattails, bulrushes, burreed, and arrow arum. Disturbed marshes may have purple loosestrife, reedgrass, or reed canary grass. Marsh communities occur on mineral soils or fine-grained organic soils that are pennanently saturated. They are often found near the Finger Lakes or in wetlands near a drainage divide. Because water levels may fluctuate, exposing substrate and aerating the soil, there is little or no accumulation of pea,!:. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A wet meadow with permanently saturated and seasonally flooded organic soils in wetlands that receive mineral nutrients via groundwater or streams. There is usually little peat accumulation and floating mats are not formed. Sedge meadows typically occur along streams and near the inlet and outlets of lakes and ponds. The dominant species is a tussock-sedge, Carex stricta, usually with about 50% cover. Other characteristic herbs include sedges (C. lacustris and C. rostrata), bluejoint grass, sweetflag, joe-pye weed, tall meadow rue, and bulrushes. GlobaltStatelLocal Rarity G4G5 G4G5 G4 G4 G5 G4 G4 G5 S4 L4 S4 LA S2S3 L3 S4 L4 S5 LA S4 LA S4 L4 S4 ULA Plant Species Although substantial effort was made to identify significant plant species on this site, it is possible that additional rare or scarce species exist that do not show up in this report. A field check is always recommended prior to modifying the landscape. Detailed information regarding each species' rareness and status may be found in Appendix D. For up-to-date information on species, contact the NY Natural Heritage Program (518-783­ Rarity: (Key; No checkmarks indicate that no species fall within those categories.) Global At least one plant species designated as rare or scarce at the global level by The Nature Conservancy is found on this site. o State -At least one plant species designated as rare or scarce at the state level by The Nature Conservancy and the New York Natural Heritage Program is found on this site. Local -At least one plant species designated as rare or scarce at the local level by the Tompkins County EMC and the Cornell Plantations is found on this site. Legal Status: Pa e 283 - Federal -At least one nlant snecies desiQnated as threatened or endanQered hv the U.S. Denartment of the Interior is found on this site. State -At least one plant species designated in New York State as endangered, threatened, rare or exploitably vulnerable is found on this site, Significant Plant Species Inventoried on this Site: Scientific Name Common Name Global/State/Local Rarity Local Comments State Legal Status None known Animal Species The UNA Inventory currently does not contain much specific data regarding animal species (and very little regarding rare or scarce species) on UNA sites. Therefore, this data should be viewed as preliminary and incomplete. A field check is always recommended prior to modifYing the landscape. Detailed information regarding each species' rareness and status may be found in Appendix E. For up-to-date information on species. contact the NY Natural Heritage Program (518-783-3932). Animal Description: This area is a good birding site. Woodland and migrant songbirds are present. Rarity: (Key: No checkmarks indicate that no species fall within those categories.) Global -At least one animal species designated as rare or scarce at the globallcvel by The Nature Conservancy is found on this site. State -At least one animal species designated as rare or scarce at the state level by The Nature Conservancy and the New York Natural Heritage Program is found on this site. Legal Status: Federal At least one animal species designated as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Department of the Interior is found on this site. State At least one animal species designated by NYS as threatened or endangered is found on this site. Animal Species Inventoried on this Site: FederallState Scientific Name Common Name Global/State Rarity Lellal Status Comments No data Page 284